The present invention relates generally to the art of fishing lures, and, in particular, to an artificial lure for attracting and catching fish in both fresh and salt water and a method of making the same.
Commercial and sport fishing have become a major industry. The goal of the fisherman is to catch the most and the biggest fish that he possibly can catch. In helping a fisherman to accomplish this goal, the design of artificial lures plays a very important role. Artificial lures are typically configured to reproduce the likeness and movement of bait fish, worms, lizards, and other swimming creatures upon which game fish, large and small, feed. At the same time, the lure must allow the fish to be hooked or caught.
Several attempts have been made to design an artificial lure which simulates the life-like action of fresh water and salt water fish. Examples of these attempts include U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,214,396, 4,317,305, 4,069,610, 3,958,358, 2,854,779, 2,785,497, and 994,927.
In the early development period, the object was to duplicate the xe2x80x9clookxe2x80x9d of the bait fish. As design became more sophisticated, the object became appropriating the xe2x80x9cfeelxe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9cmovementxe2x80x9d of the bait fish. Movement of a lure is a critical feature. Known prior art lures may look attractive, but they do not possess the features which create realistic movement. Similarly, lures which display life-like movement may not look real. Finally, designers are faced with the problems of designing lures which look and act like a real bait fish, yet are easily manufactured in quantity.
As an example, one such lure having a single wavy or rippled fin on one side of the body or tail of a lure has been commercially successful from the manufacturing standpoint. However, heretofore, no one has suggested a lure having two wavy, rippled, or undulating fins on the body or tail of the lure. A single fin lure is easily manufactured using injection molding. The mold is configured so that the single fin is molded in substantially flat form when viewed in the horizontal plane.
In most fabrication processes which have preceded the present invention, the mold was normally comprised of two parts to facilitate separation thereof when extracting the lure. The molding process previously used employed bilateral mold plates which were tooled to receive the lure material. The plates were tooled so that concave depressions could receive the lure material. This configuration was necessary because it was difficult to match plates with both concave and convex aspects. This normally results in a seam at the joining of the two portions of the mold. In the past, the single fin was aligned along the axis of the seam. If the plates were not matched appropriately, the result would be flash along the edges of the lure. Also, in the past, the manufacturer of the lure started with two plates having planar surfaces which had been prepared to abut one another.
The present invention comprises an article of manufacture which has a bait body and multiple fins extending from the body and a method of making the same. These fins may be either rippled, undulating or helical in shape and design. Under tow, the helical shaped fins straighten and resemble undulating or rippled fins. These undulating fins produce movement which simulates the desired movement of bait fish. The method of making the lure comprises forming a die or molding plates with both concave and convex aspects which in combination form the shape of a lure body with undulating or rippled fins and injecting a suitable lure material into the mold.
The lure of the present invention may be constructed by the process of injection molding. The prior art limitation of providing only a single, flat fin has been overcome. The mold is configured so that each fin is attached in a straight plane along the length of the lure body, with the outer edges of the fins being formed in a ruffled or undulating shape. This construction allows the fins to be molded or formed in the ruffled or undulating shape. It is this ruffled characteristic which enables the lure to move in a life-like manner in tow. Slow movement of the lure through the water causes the lure to undulate or wiggle. The correlation between the thickness and flexibility of the fins provides different types of motion in the lure. The thicker the fins, the less flexibility resulting in slower motion. Thinner and more flexible fins allow the lure to undulate or wiggle more rapidly in tow.
In its preferred embodiment, the lure is constructed of suitable material to reflect life-like characteristics while maintaining the necessary functional characteristics. One example of material is worm plastic, a plastic of flesh-like consistency which has become widely known and used in the artificial bait industry.
The body is of substantially cylindrical cross section and can be notched or striated along its length with spaced indentations or grooves which may be concentric with the central axis of the body. The striations or notches may extend 360xc2x0 or may only encircle a portion of the body. The head portion of the elongate body is of sufficient size to anchor and support the insertion of a hook. The distal portion of the body may taper gradually along its length so that the pair of fins extend beyond the distal portion of the body. The flexible fins are preferably formed as an integral part of the elongate body and extend from a proximal head portion of the elongate body to a distal tail portion.
The rearward portion of this embodiment can be shaped to form a tail of generally caudal shape to impart movement to the lure. The lure of the present invention is normally used as bait by passage of a hook having a weighted head portion through the proximal or head portion of the elongate body. Also, the lures can be used in conjunction with what is known in the fishing industry as a Texas rig or Carolina rig.
The lure of the present invention produces a new concept of motion in soft lures. The fins or appendages provide enhanced motion in the lure. This motion ranges from undulating to vibrating. This feature has the added advantage of attracting both large and small game fish.
These and other features are better understood by reference to the following detailed description of the attached drawings to which reference is made. In the drawings, similar numbers are used to represent similar components in the different figures.